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Search On For Suspects In $6 Million Midtown Jewelry Heist

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The search is on for three men who police say are wanted in connection with a multi-million dollar jewelry heist in Midtown.

It happened at KGK Holdings jewelry wholesaler on West 36th Street between 5th and 6th avenues around 10 p.m. Saturday as thousands of officers watched over revelers packed into Times Square for New Year's Eve.

Armed with a pry-bar and a sledge hammer, investigators said the trio broke in through the freight entrance, took the elevator to the sixth floor and targeted two locked wall safes.

Investigators said two of the men were seen on video attacking a safe before busting the security camera, which caught a close up of one unmasked suspect before they were joined by a third accomplice, CBS2's Magdalena Doris reported.

Police said the suspects took jewelry valued at about $6 million and left through a sixth-floor stairwell. The stolen items inside the safes included rings, earrings and necklaces made up of 18-karat gold and diamonds, according to police.

"That's insane, who knew they kept $6-million of jewels in this building," a person who works in the mixed use building said.

Those who work in the building had no idea about the fortune being locked away on the 6th floor, but weren't surprised that the building was compromised.

"Very often, visitors come in the building and nobody checks their ID," said Bertrand Thomas, who works on 13th floor.

Police are investigating if this was an inside job carried out by someone who knew about the expensive merchandise and where they could find the safes.

Authorities have not yet identified the suspects. Police are looking at more surveillance video to try to identify the third suspect not seen in the video.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

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