Japan's police are asking rental storage and parcel delivery companies to report suspicious activity that could signal lone-wolf terrorism, expanding a cooperative framework to prevent attacks by individuals acting without organizational ties.

What happened

The National Police Agency instructed the country's 47 prefectural police departments Thursday to set up cooperative frameworks with rental storage and parcel delivery businesses. The agency is asking rental storage providers to report suspicious people, goods, or noise detected by facility managers or customers; it is asking delivery companies to flag anything suspicious about parcels and delivery addresses. Similar requests were already made to real estate companies, drugstores, and home stores.

Why it matters

Rental storage units have been used to store gunpowder and serve as workshops for making dangerous goods; unattended delivery services have been exploited for fraud and illegal drug distribution. By tapping frontline businesses that see these spaces, police aim to collect early warning signs of individuals making firearms or explosives alone—the hallmark of lone-wolf attacks. The agency also expects such information to help with crimes beyond terrorism.

What to watch

Information will be received at police stations and through a hotline. The agency official stated that "the eyes of citizens are important to prevent crimes" and urged businesses not to hesitate in reporting—signaling that the success of this effort depends on voluntary participation and trust from the private sector.