Recalcitrant residents of Elmina in the Central Region have defied a ban by the local authorities and are prospecting for gold at the Elmina beach. Their behaviour is said to have rendered police detailed to maintain order there helpless. Joy FM’s Central Region correspondent, Richard Kwadwo Nyarko told Joy News on Friday that the environment has been heavily polluted by their activities, saying uncountable huge pits have been dug at the site. Richard Nyarko noted that the Geological Survey Department has expressed dissatisfaction about the Daily Graphic's report on Thursday which said there were gold deposits at the Elmina beach close to the castle. This, he remarked, prompted a number of residents to rush to the beach in search of gold. Earlier, the Geological Survey Department had confirmed the gold deposit, but said they were yet to conduct further research to tell if the gold deposit was in commercial quantities.