British passports, it would seem, are the latest must-have item on the Dark Web as the UK barrels towards its exit from the European Union.

Almost 350,000 UK passports were reported "lost or stolen" in 2015, according to a response to a Freedom of Information request—which is presumably why Ars was able to find 119 of them for sale on Tor-anonymised Dark Web sites in a matter of minutes.

But they don’t come cheap. Buyers will have to hand over $3,360 (£2,730) in bitcoin or similar crypto currency to get their hands on the illegal item.

According to insurance firm Esure, which submitted the FoI request to Her Majesty’s Passport Office, the value of a fake British passport has increased by six percent since the vote in favour of Brexit, and is predicted to rise further if rules on European Union freedom of movement change.

By contrast, Lithuanian passports are currently going for €1,304 on Dark Web sites. There are fewer available for sale however—Ars could only find 12 this morning.

The demand for British passports means that passport theft has rocketed by 23 per cent over the past year. "There are a couple of different scenarios that could influence passport theft, according to the experts. If UK borders are strictly controlled, the experts project a 20 percent rise in the price of stolen passports, which could draw the eyes of thieves. People shouldn't be scared though, as taking certain precautions will help keep your passport safe," said Esure spokesperson Emma Banks. The "experts" in question—paid by Esure—include criminologist Stefan Fafinski.

The FoI also revealed that more than 270,000 passports have been lost or stolen already this year, with the majority going missing in Spain—around a third (30.6 percent) of the total reported thefts.

“The most common hotspots for passport theft included bars and restaurants (14 percent), the beach (14 percent), busy streets (14 percent) and hotel rooms (13 percent). However, it isn’t just overseas as one in five (19 percent) of people reported a passport being stolen from their own homes," said Esure.

Black market trade in British passports is estimated to be worth more than £46 million each year.