The Brazilian government says 27 migrants from West Africa have been rescued off the coast of Maranhao in the northern region of the country.

Officials from Maranhao said a fishing boat intercepted the drifting vessel with 27 persons on board including migrants from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal and Cape Verde along with two Brazilians.

According to a Brazilian newspaper, Folha de S.Paulo, most of the rescued migrants were suffering from dehydration while the two Brazilians have been taken into police custody for human trafficking.

The paper added that the Brazilians were paid to illegally transport the migrants to Brazil on the vessel which had been at sea for more than five weeks.