They came in through a freight entrance to the sixth-floor business and then used a hammer and crowbar to break a lock, gaining access to a room containing four safes, sources said. The gloved suspects removed diamond-encrusted and 18-karat gold bracelets, earrings and necklaces from two of the safes. The safes were either already open or the burglars knew the combinations, and they stuffed the pricey merchandise into several backpacks, sources said. The two unopened safes contained another estimated $7 million in merchandise, sources said. The lock boxes were on loan to the wholesaler, who was in the process of building a more secure vault.

The three hooded and masked men broke into a West 36th Street jewelry wholesaler at 12:01 a.m. Sunday in what appears to be an inside job — while 7,000 cops were distracted protecting Times Square revelers just a few blocks away. The source said the thieves “100 percent” planned the heist to coincide with the ball drop. They made off with around $6 million in gems and are still at large, police sources said.

The burglars were caught on video inside Gregg Ruth, a commercial jewelry store known for its rare yellow and pink diamonds. One of the robbers, a bearded white male in a hood without a mask, looks straight into the camera during the heist. A building source agreed that the burglars seemed to be “aware of their surroundings” as they knew exactly what floor is best to disappear in.

The jeweler specializes in colored diamonds and imported stones, including rare yellow and pink diamonds set in pendants and necklaces worth up to $150,000 apiece. The baubles are sold at area retailers like H.L. Gross in Garden City, NY, and Neves Jewelers in Woodbridge, NJ. The robbery is said to be "like a slap to the face" and "Anyone with information on the burglary should call Crimestoppers."