The goggles, designed for use by helicopter pilots, were posted on eBay last month, the Daily Mail reported Sunday.

Authorities say this is not the first incidence of the high-price eye wear being taken from Britain's Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force bases over the past year.

Defense officials say they are concerned the military's equipment could wind up being used against British soldiers by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan.

"This is pretty serious," an official told the newspaper. "The Taliban are desperate to get hold of military NVGs (night vision goggles) because they are hugely superior to the civilian ones you can buy."

The official added, "You give a Taliban sniper one of these and our advantage at night disappears. We'd have a lot more people coming home in body bags."