perpetrator

The perpetrator would have to keep at least one clue from his victims to feign innocence, but a subtle inconsistency would allow others to infer his guilt.

"The delays in bringing perpetrators to court really does add insult to injury," said Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association.

To date, no official action has been publicly disclosed against perpetrators.

But the junta's military backer China has been increasingly irked at the number of its citizens who are both perpetrators and victims of the scams, experts say.

“We’ll do everything to apprehend the perpetrators of these acts,” he said.