Three burglars made off with over $40,000 worth of video games and equipment from the Play N Trade in the A&P Shopping Plaza on Franklin Turnpike during an early morning burglary last Friday, Mahwah Police Chief James Batelli said Wednesday.

Police are looking for three burglars who they believe broke into the gaming store through an empty storefront next door, Batelli said. “The rear entry door [of the vacant shop] had been fixed so that it could be opened without using any force or be detected,” he said.

After unsuccessfully attempting to break into the Play N Trade through the sheet rock wall dividing the two stores, police believe the burglars went through ceiling tiles to enter the shop, Batelli said. The alarm system was also disabled during the break-in, police said.

The owner of the shop is conducting an inventory check to determine exactly how much was taken, but initial surveys estimate the trio took over $40,000 worth of gaming equipment and some cash from the store, Batelli said.

The burglary is still under investigation. The “crime scene was processed for forensic evidence and several different sources of video surveillance are now being examined and enhanced,” Batelli said. The Mahwah PD is currently following up on “several strong leads,” he said.